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Thursday, July 12

Puneri Misal - Some not so famous places to get better Misal !

Pune! I shifted to this city for residing here around 9 years ago. Before that I used to visit the city and had many friends with whom I would enjoy some of the "Pune specials"! Pune has some special and specific ways of doing and having things done. Many specialties are admired ... critically or jokingly! Pune related things are often referred to as Puneri! In Marathi it simply means, Of Pune.

"Puneri Patya" or various sign boards seen at places in Pune are very famous(!). Another thing that I always wanted and have so far been attached to is Puneri Missal.

Missal as the name suggests, is a mixture of a few very tasty ingredients. These are pre-cooked or pre-mixed food items and do have separate identity as eatables by themselves. But the essential ingredients are 1) Farsaan / Chiwda or both along with Pohe /some Bhajee 2) Shev 3) Usal with a lot of very watery (and oily) gravy 4) Sprinkled with or topped with Onion, Coconut etc.

Most of the Punekars tell outsiders about three or four Missal joints. Generally from amongst Vaidya, Bedekar, Shree Upahar Gruha, Shrikrishna near Tulshi Baug and Ramnath. Some times some people eat missal just because it is available in a Pune hotel but they just do not know that a better missal could be just round the corner.

In this posting and its updates I will be giving details of a few Missal joints where you can find a better missal that what you must have been eating or used to eat. I recommended these joints to a few friends and they are now addicted to these new joints that I recommended.

Before I could write something more about Missals I must pay tribute to a dead / lost missal. It is probably lost permanently. The city has to grow, no doubt, but while growing it just doesn't care for what vanishes off. Just like the Cafe Sunrise on Deccan, one joint called Datta Upahaar Gruha near Pushkarini Haud in Sadashiv Peth has been lost forever. This Missal joint used to serve one of the best Missals I have eaten.

Now about the "NOT So Famous Missal joints for a better Missal"

1) Just besides a famous shop called Shagun on Lakshmi Road, there is this building that hosts WIEE and Insurance (United India Assurance) and Nagpur Haatmaag Kendra. The building entrance is besides Nagpur Haatmaag Kendra, a Khadi shop, mostly closed. After finding a proper parking place across the road or somewhere nearby, enter this building and on the left side find a small eatery with a capacity to seat just 12 to 16 persons. There is no name to this eatery to we call it WIEE Canteen. Just wait if it is full and later when you get place to sit order for the Misal. You get your Misal almost immediately. It is different. The Chiwda that they use is made of very thin Pohe (Puffed Rice) and the Rassa/Turry tastes amazing. You get additional Turry/ Russa as much as you need. Try it. It is one of the most addictive Misals.

The Entrance is beneath the white LIC board! (Just where the white car is)

2) Madhu's Gaadi Near Tilak Smarak: Madhu who was once a waiter in nearby Baadshahi Hotel started business on his own many years back. (mostly seven years) This is a wonderful joint for all typically Marathi eatables. Batatawada, Sabudana Khichadi, Pohe, Shira, Matar Usal etc. Madhu's speciality is Upwaas Items mostly available on Chaturthis, Upwaas Pattice available on Angaraki's and Aashadhi & Kartiki Ekadashi. Everything has been allotted days. A specific menu on specific days. (Reflects on specific crowd too!) Misal is vailable only on Sundays and Wednesdays. Madhu's Misal has one of the most tantalising tastes. The quantity is less and so is the price. The Misal tastes good because of its fresh and tasty Farsaan. The usal, too, is good and unlimited rassa/turry.

3) Raviwar Peth .. near the Railway Booking office .. there is this cart .. Haatgaadee ... name unknown ... probably this person is, no doubt, a drop-out from the nearby Vaidya upahaar Gruha .. good missal! It is almost like Vaidya's 97 years old Missal. There are a few differences : the Vaidya Misal is served on a table and this missal is served on a road side gaadee, so you have to stand while eating it. Vaidya's Missal is quite less spicy than this one and thirdly, this missal is available even after Vaidya Upahaar Gruha is shut exactly at 11.30 am. Try it once.

4) Yet another interesting place can become favorite place for those who like "Kolhapuri Ishtyle flavor" This hotel called "ShreenathUpahar Gruha - Kolhapuri Misal House" is just opposite the famous Alaka Talkies near Sambhaji Pool (lakdi pool) in Tilak Chowk. Just stand in the parking lot gate of Alaka Talkies and see straight across the road on the other footpath .. just at the beginning of Shastri Road you can see this typically "KaLkat"(Not so clean) hotel. You visit this place with the Kolhapuri Zataka in mind. However it is much much much tolerable than the missal they serve in Raamnath on Tilak Road.

Alka Theatre Posters seen from Shree Nath Hotel

What surprises you is the presentation of the Missal .. I mean you expect a small plate with overflowing missal stuffed in it. The ambiance of this hotel is just fit to suit any small town ST stand canteen .. or these days such canteens are better than this hotel .. the hotel floor is uneven. You somehow, will have to make yourself comfortable .. this odd texture is also replicated in the overall look of the waiters. You order for Missal and sit for a minute or two.

The Missal arrives ... in a specially compartmented plate. Three compartments. One for Missal, one for the Rassa and one for Bread. This Misal has very fresh Shev in it. The portions are good. The Rassa is served again and again ... and you go on eating. It is one of the most mouth watering and fresh Missals !

The Missal from the Shreenath Upahaar Gruha opposite Alaka Talkies !

5) Now, I am going to tell you something that will surely surprise you! Something that is just unbelievable. I am sure, you would never want to go to any court by choice! But here is something that will make you ACTUALLY DO THAT! Now I am going to introduce a Missal that is served in one of the three canteens of Pune's Own Court Premises!! Surprised ? Isn't this a REAL GOOD reason to go to the court! For those who understand Marathi .. I would like to say "Hee Missal Tumhala Nakki Courtaat Khechel !" There are three canteen in the Court Premises. I am talking about the one, that is immediately accessible from the backside gate of the court. Use the entrance that is behind the SSPMS school on the road that is a tributary to the Shivaji Road. When you enter this way you see a big stone building (it's rear portion) in front of you and a few barracks on your left. Now follow these barracks and take a right turn. Right there along one corner of the Big Stone structure of the Old Sessions court, is a canteen. The canteen can offer you a seating inside a small hall or outside in an area just like a sit-out. Believe me, if you arrive at this spot before 10 am it is very pleasing. But as the court proceedings progress, the crowd that comes here and the amount of people visiting, both are generally disturbing! So your presence before the court timings are a must to raise the enjoyment quotient. Now you sit outside .. on any "tapree style" benches and order for your Missal ... and I bet .. this Missal is going to pull you again to the courts!

12 comments:

Hi Pradeep. That was a tremendously educative article on Missal, which I think is an inherent part of Pune's cultural life. Henceforth when I come to Pune, I think I'll try these joints one by one. A very nice job of blogging! I'll keep reading so do keep writing.

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